Fair Deal Scheme: The Way We Care for the Elderly has Changed

 

Gestures of love and care shown to aged parents vary from one person to another. While some visit their elderly parents’ house on weekends for the company, others accompany them to the doctor’s chamber. However, the definition has changed ever since the Fair Deal Scheme got introduced. Today, adult children who genuinely think about the wellbeing of their aged parents, avail of HSE’s Nursing Home Support Scheme to subsidise the cost involved. It’s the new standard of care in Ireland and people are increasingly applying for the scheme on behalf of their elderly parents, who are suffering from severe mental and physical conditions.

If you are planning to take it up for your mother or father or any of your close relatives who are suffering from physical and mental incapacity, go ahead. There’s every reason you should involve the HSE to fund a certain amount towards your loved one’s nursing home care.

Much like every Irish Government scheme, this too suffers the lashes of the public. Many have criticised it on the grounds of being means-tested. In other words, they believe that the benefits of the Nursing Home Loan Scheme stand eligible only for those who have sufficient income and assets. They also feel that the bequest of the farm left behind for the next generation has become riskier. Well, haters are going to hate, no matter how lucrative you make a scheme. So, disregarding all facts, let’s move ahead to check out the benefits it can bring upon your ailing loved one.

The Nursing Home Support Scheme is the greatest gift you can present to someone you love and care for. It covers the following:

Ø  Appropriate care at one’s chosen nursing home.

Ø  Therapy along with some basic aids and appliances to help patients with their day-to-day activities.

Ø  Laundry service, bed and board.

Ø  Medical care, including medication and GP charges.

All that an eligible person has to fulfil are certain conditions, three of which are the most critical:

1. Care needs assessment - This part of the application examines the applicant’s eligibility for long-term nursing home care.
2. Financial assessment - This part, on the contrary, takes a look at the income and assets of the applicant and calculates the person’s contribution towards his/her cost of care. Based on this, the HSE determines the State support that the applicant is eligible for.
3. Nursing Home Loan Scheme- This one is a true saviour for those who wish to defer their contribution to a later date.

Final Thoughts:

After retirement, the only dream of aged parents is to live an independent life, without being a burden to their adult children. Today, that’s possible with the Fair Deal Scheme. Those who truly care for their elderly and ailing parents or loved ones, make it a point to fill up the application form and cater to their long-term nursing home care needs. So, it’s like a standard of care, expected by the aged population from their adult offspring.